My name is Stu and I am here to share what I can.

Technically, the New Jersey Devils are currently the best team in hockey this season. Now, in actuality, they are tied with Chicago, both teams having earned 55 points thus far. However, Chicago has played 38 games, where NJ has played 37, giving them a slightly higher percentage of awesome. Additionally, NJ has earned only 1 overtime loss, which is pretty darned impressive this far into the season. Marty Brodeur, he has a right to a chunk of the credit. Parise, Bergfors, Langenbrunner, Elias, and others are having great seasons of their own, but Martin Brodeur, well, just consider these statistics: In 15 seasons, he made it to 14 playoff berths. Of those, three of those Brodeur-led teams won Lord Stanley's Cup. He is also the all-time leader in regular season wins, shutouts, games played, as well as being the youngest player to hit the 300, 400 and 500 regular season win milestones. Most shutouts, most minutes played, and the only NHL goalie to score a game-winning goal. And he's only 37, so we may see two, maybe three more seasons out of him. Will he ever be remembered alongside Gretsky, Messier, Ohr, Howe, Richard or the rest? Probably not, because stopping a goal doesn't give the same thrill as scoring a goal. But if folks can set that sensibility aside for a moment, Brodeur has to be considered one of the best to ever play the game.

1 Comments:

I've always been more of a goalie groupie than anything else when it comes to hockey. Sawchuk, Hall, Dryden, Cheevers, Worsley, Plante... love 'em all. I was one, for most of my time on the ice, so I suppose that explains it to a certain extent. Brodeur is as good as they come. I think he could have played back in the pre-expansion days.